Places Where It Has Never Snowed: U.S. and World Cities
Have you ever wondered, "are there any places in the U.S. where it doesn't snow?" Here's what we found.
Quick Reference
- U.S. cities with no snow ever: Key West (FL), Yuma (AZ, only once since 1878), Honolulu (HI).
- U.S. states with no snow: None. All 50 have recorded snow at some point.
- U.S. territories with no snow: Guam, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands.
- World cities with no snow: Dry Valleys of Antarctica, Cairo, New Delhi, Fiji.
- Why it matters: A snowless world would warm North America by 9°F on average, with winter temperatures up 16°F.
As the summer sun fades and the calendar turns cooler, your thoughts might drift to that four-letter word some of us love and others love to hate: snow. Which cities, states, or countries have never seen it? Not “rarely,” like Phoenix, Arizona, or Jacksonville, Florida (both of which haven’t seen snow in over 25 years), but truly never. The Almanac sifted dozens of weather records to compile the actual list of places where it has never snowed.
U.S. Cities Where It Has Never Snowed
- Key West, Florida: Key West has not just never seen snow. It has never seen frost, ice, or sleet either. Florida’s low latitude and low elevation keep temperatures too warm for any of it.
- Yuma, Arizona: One of the sunniest U.S. cities and one of the driest. Snow has fallen in Yuma only once since 1878.
- Miami, Florida: Miami is on most “no snow” lists, but the city has technically seen snow once: flurries fell for about an hour during a January 1977 cold wave.
- Honolulu, Hawaii: The coldest temperature ever recorded in Honolulu is 52°F in January 1969, far too warm for snow. The island of Oahu has never seen snow in recorded history. Hawaii’s other islands do see snow several times a year at the summits of Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, and Haleakala.
Surprised that Los Angeles, New Orleans, Charleston, or even Death Valley did not make the no-snow list? Each of those places has seen snow at least once when an unusually strong cold front pushed far enough south. New York City has come close to setting records the other way: the 2022 to 2023 winter went a whopping 329 days without measurable snow (at least 0.1 inch). That nearly beat New York’s all-time record of 332 days set in 2020.
Are There Any States Where It Has Never Snowed?
Every one of the 50 states has reported snowfall at some point in its history. The five states where snow is rarest are Florida, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, where snowflakes appear the least often. U.S. territories are a different story: three of them have never seen snow.
- Guam: The tropical Pacific island sees warm humid weather year-round. The coldest temperature ever observed there is 69°F, more than double the 32°F threshold needed for snow.
- Puerto Rico: Not a single snowflake on record. Curiosity about “nieve” (Spanish for snow) is so strong that snow has been shipped to the island on several occasions for residents to see.
- U.S. Virgin Islands: The lowest temperature ever recorded is believed to be in the 40s, not cold enough for snow.
Where in the World Has It Never Snowed?
- Dry Valleys, Antarctica: One of the coldest continents holds one of the only places on Earth that has never seen rain or snow. The Dry Valleys have not seen meaningful precipitation in an estimated 2 million years. The surrounding mountains block moisture from the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, and high-speed katabatic winds heat the descending air enough to evaporate any droplets it carries.
- Cairo, Egypt: Cairo’s desert climate averages just one inch of rainfall a year. A December 2013 event was widely reported as snowfall, but turned out to be soft hail, not snow.
- New Delhi, India: Temperatures rarely dip below freezing, and winter is a dry season there. Delhi has never recorded snowfall, though it does see frost.
- Fiji: The South Pacific island nation sees an average winter temperature of 73°F. Far too warm for snow.
In case you are wondering: yes, it has snowed in the Bahamas (in 1977, once), in the Caribbean (most recently in March 2016 on Guadeloupe), and in the Sahara Desert (most recently in January 2022).
What Would Happen if We Lived in a Snowless World?
A snowless world might sound like paradise to winter commuters, but the consequences would be steep. Snow plays an essential role in Earth’s climate. Snow- and ice-covered landscapes reflect sunlight back into space. Without that reflection, sunlight would be absorbed by the ground instead, warming North America’s average annual air temperature by as much as 9°F, and winter-season temperatures by more than 16°F, according to a University of Wisconsin-Madison study.
Snow is also insulating, like a blanket. That sounds counterintuitive given the cold, but as snow accumulates, it traps air bubbles (and air is an excellent insulator) between its layers. Without snow cover, soils in usually snowy regions would stay exposed, cool deeply, and turn into permafrost. Permafrost makes farming nearly impossible. It also raises flood risk, since rain on frozen ground cannot soak in.
Frequently Asked Questions
What U.S. cities have never seen snow?
Key West, Florida (which has also never seen frost, ice, or sleet) and Honolulu, Hawaii. Yuma, Arizona, has only seen snow once since 1878. Miami has only seen flurries once, during a January 1977 cold wave.
Are there U.S. states where it has never snowed?
No. Every one of the 50 states has recorded snowfall at some point in its history. Florida and Hawaii see snow least often. U.S. territories Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands have never seen snow.
What is the driest place on Earth?
The Dry Valleys of Antarctica. Despite the cold continent around them, the valleys have not seen meaningful rain or snow in an estimated 2 million years, kept dry by mountain shielding and katabatic winds that evaporate moisture.
Has it ever snowed in the Caribbean?
Yes, but very rarely. The Bahamas saw snow once, in 1977. Guadeloupe saw snow in March 2016. These are once-in-a-generation events.
Why does it never snow in Honolulu but does snow on Mauna Kea?
Elevation. Honolulu sits near sea level on Oahu, where temperatures rarely drop below 50°F. Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the Big Island rise above 13,000 feet, where the thinner cold air supports snowfall several times each year.
Would a snowless world really be warmer?
Yes. Snow reflects sunlight back into space. Without snow cover, more sunlight gets absorbed by the ground and trapped as heat. The University of Wisconsin-Madison estimates a snowless North America would warm by 9°F on average and by 16°F in winter.
Tiffany Means
Tiffany Means is a freelance writer and a degreed meteorologist. She specializes in weather forecasting and enjoys making the subject of weather (and the science behind it) more relatable. She currently resides in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.
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- Tiffany Means
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- Tiffany Means
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